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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29139078">[C] Final Moments, Continued</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/OneofWebs/pseuds/OneofWebs'>OneofWebs</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Battle, Communication, Emotionally Repressed, Established Relationship, F/M, Injury, Marriage Proposal, Minor Injuries, Titans</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 07:40:45</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,425</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29139078</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/OneofWebs/pseuds/OneofWebs</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Levi is sure they won't make it out of this. If they're going to die, he's not going to let it happen without first telling her how he feels, and he can't fathom a better way to say that than with a question.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin)/Original Female Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>[C] Final Moments, Continued</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/ourloveisgone/gifts">ourloveisgone</a>.</li>



    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Titans were closing in around them quickly; if they had gotten stuck in a more open area, it wouldn’t have been such a problem. Levi was the best the survey corps had ever seen, which meant titans like these were easy for him to take down, but there always had to be <em>something</em> that kept things from being easy. They were caught in the forest, Levi and Jenna. And Jenna, a taller, thin young woman with long brown hair and glasses strapped to her face, wasn’t the type of partner anyone wanted to be stuck in the woods with.</p>
<p>She launched herself from one branch to the other and didn’t even need to hit the gas to propel herself forward. The trees were so close together, the forest crowded, and it wasn’t making it an easier to fight the titans. There was a tall one, with long spindly limbs and bulging eyes, as well as a shorter one, a fatter one. The tall one had nearly snatched Jenna out of the air, and though she kept moving, her heart raced in her chest and pounded in her ears. This could very well be her final moments, caught in a forest too congested to fight in.</p>
<p>“Jenna!” Levi shouted.</p>
<p>He stood across the small clearing in a different tree, just as tired. They’d woken up to this, having camped in what even Levi had thought would be a safe spot. There was no time to consider how these titans had even found them, just that the titans were here, and if they didn’t do something soon, they were going to <em>die</em> like this, to titans that should have been easy. Levi wouldn’t have ever had a problem taking these down by himself, given the space he needed to do so, but the first words out of his mouth were as endearing as they were a reminder of what else held him back.</p>
<p>Jenna looked at Levi, her eyes wide and her hand grasped at her chest, into her coat and her harness. <em>She</em> held him back. When the survey corps’ best fought alongside who was arguably the survey corps’ worse, the playing field leveled out somewhere in the titans’ favor. Jenna was a liability more than she was anything, despite how hard she trained and the incredible focus that she gave her work. It never was quite enough.</p>
<p>“We have to head for the edge of the forest!” Levi called for her.</p>
<p>“What about—what about all of our stuff?” She asked.</p>
<p>Levi shook his head. “Forget it! We’ve got everything we need.”</p>
<p>He looked forward, pointing out the way they needed to go. Away from the titans, they wouldn’t make it to the edge of the forest, and even Jenna knew that. Levi’s hope was that, as they neared it, the trees would spread out, and there would be enough room to fight back. He had everything he needed, anyway, which meant the camp they left on the ground was meaningless. He just needed to make sure that he kept the things that he needed, the things that mattered, which was why he wouldn’t risk Jenna’s life just to kill some titans.</p>
<p>He’d worked in close quarters, in worse conditions, and been fine. Jenna hadn’t, and he knew that she couldn’t. This was the best way to make sure that they would both survive, and Levi was the first one to take it. The gear shot forward, and Levi flew from one tree to the next.</p>
<p>Jenna’s escape was not quite as graceful, as one of the titans struck for her right as she leapt off the tree branch. She cried out through the air, shifting her hips from one side to the other to try and regain control of her flight midair, and it only barely managed to work. Instead of colliding face first with a tree at this titan’s behest, she barely managed to sideswipe it. Despite the pain that suddenly bloomed through her arm—broken, sprained, she didn’t know—Jenna pulled the trigger on her maneuvering gear and pulled herself to the next tree.</p>
<p>Levi was already ahead of her, but the moment he realized that, he stopped on the first branch big enough to hold him and looked back. Jenna was moving too slow, and the titans were moving too fast. First, he wanted to be angry, wanted to scream that she was going to get herself killed, but then he realized it. She was <em>hurt</em>.</p>
<p>Something bubbled up inside of Levi right then and there. This need to protect, to <em>defend</em>. He was not going to let Jenna die here, even if it meant risking himself. Either they would both die, or he would be the sacrifice; he didn’t care which happened, as long as he did not have to walk on this world without her anymore. It was in that moment that every soft glance, every gentle touch, and every passing comment flooded through Levi’s recent memory. All of them, from the first time he’d helped her train to the first time he’d admitted that he loved her.</p>
<p>“Stay where you are!” Levi shouted, and he jumped right back into action.</p>
<p>Jenna whirled around just in time to watch him come flying past her. She yelped, pressing herself against the trunk of the tree she stood on. Her arm was bleeding, and each time she moved it, it ached bad enough that she swore something was broken, but she watched with wide eyes as Levi flew right into a situation he knew was <em>dangerous</em>. Not just dangerous, but one that could kill him. Kill them both. Jenna may not have been the best fighter the survey corps had ever seen, or even the best of the worst, but she had grit and tenacity; maybe that would make up for it.</p>
<p>“You can’t do this alone!” Jenna argued back, shrieking loud enough that her throat strained, but Levi heard her.</p>
<p>More importantly, Levi heard the sound of her gear as she jumped into action. She wasn’t about to let him go this fight alone, despite how much he needed to—<em>wanted</em> to, even. He couldn’t stop her from joining the fray, and just like that, they were both swinging back through the forest together, towards the titans that ran for them at full speed.</p>
<p>Levi could already see it. With Jenna’s decision to come and help, despite her wounds, they were both going to die. He wouldn’t have to live in a world without her, at least, but he couldn’t see them both surviving. When she was at his side, he always had to watch out for her, and with the way these titans moved—like deviants—he wasn’t sure he’d have enough focus for them and Jenna’s safety.</p>
<p>He went for the titan on the left, and Jenna flew for the one on the right. Her attack was weakened by her arm and only served to make the titan angrier, and Levi’s angle was bad. He swung around the titan, going for the next tree before turning back and trying once more. The titans were close together, and even if their focus were separated, one wrong swing through the air could spell the death for either of them. It didn’t matter which titan. Still, they both <em>tried</em>.</p>
<p>The trees were too close together, the titans—even them. Nothing would work out in the favor, and still they <em>tried</em>. Flying through the air, hearts pounding in their ears. Levi couldn’t hear anything over top of it. All he knew was his own distress, his own fear that Jenna would die and that he might not even follow. It kept him going, kept him pushing, but strike after strike, he and Jenna missed and missed again. Levi landed his blades and snapped them, but the blow was never right. Not enough to kill.</p>
<p>He stopped on a tree for only a moment to renew his blades. They were running low on everything and needed to get out of here as fast as possible, but they couldn’t risk dragging the titans back to the others. They had to take care of this now, one way or another.</p>
<p>“Jenna!” Levi called just as he swung back through the air again. His breath was tight, his chest constricted.</p>
<p>“Marry me,” he screamed. They were going to die. “Marry me!” Again.</p>
<p>Jenna’s heart practically stopped in her chest. She landed on a branch, grasping for her throat as her breath all but stopped. She was panting, tired, and then Levi had gone and said <em>that</em>. That of all things. They were going to die. She was ready for it, but at least her last moment would be spent knowing that Levi wanted to marry her, despite her short comings and despite the nature of their lives, even, he wanted to marry her. Her, of all people.</p>
<p>“I will,” she cried back, voice strained. “I will,” she said again, this time nothing more than a whisper through her lips. She would marry Levi in the afterlife if she had to. If there was one.</p>
<p>Again, and again, they struck, they flew, and their hearts pounded in turn. There was no breath to be had, no moment of rest, and no moment where they ever thought that they would pull it out. All it would take was one strike from these monsters to end them. Every move had to be calculated, had to be perfect and sure, but so many of them weren’t.</p>
<p>So many of Levi’s decisions were based on how to keep the titans’ focus on him instead of Jenna, but it was when he heard her <em>scream</em> that everything in his head fell apart. The short one had grabbed her right out of the air—gear malfunctioning, not enough gas or damaged from when it had already struck her midair.</p>
<p>Levi didn’t know. He didn’t care. His limbs moved on his own, a sudden whirl from where he was standing and the shoot of the cords. Flying through the air, he changed his blades once more and pivoted at just the right moment, letting the cords release as he dropped down into a spin. He cut right through the titan’s skin, this time, a sure blow that severed its hand right from its arm. The thing shrieked this horrible, deathless noise as it tumbled back, but all Levi heard was Jenna’s scream.</p>
<p>This was going to be it. He knew it, but he had no time to stop and mourn their plight. He pushed himself back into gear and threw himself back through the air. His whole world went blank for a moment, nothing but pure adrenaline running his body, making his moves for him. He rushed from one tree to the next, striking and cutting in the middle.</p>
<p>One titan fell as the backs of its legs were shredded from Levi’s blade, and then he came right back for the second attack. Like his body moved on its own, breathless and ready to die. The first titan died, and Levi didn’t even realize his strike had been true until he heard the great thump of its body hitting the ground. The smoke started right after, but he was too focused elsewhere. Too focused on where they would go after this. Never once did he consider that they would survive.</p>
<p>Levi hit the ground hard as the second titan fell. The thump echoed in the ground, and it was enough that Levi lost his footing and dropped down to his knees panting. As his strength returned in waves, Levi suddenly reached for himself, a hand around his neck and a hand on his chest to feel for any signs of life. There they were: the beating of his heart behind his breastbone and his pulse thumping in his throat. He was alive. Levi was <em>alive</em>, but his euphoria lasted for a moment and no longer.</p>
<p>Suddenly, with his strength returned, Levi jumped back to his feet and ran. He saw the severed titan’s hand on the ground, fist still curled despite the fact that it was already beginning to waste away. It must have been hot, excruciating even, so Levi already feared that his worst-case scenario had been brought to him. As fast as he could manage, Levi ran for the severed hand, ready to pry it open with his own fingers if he had to. He didn’t care if it burned—he needed to see Jenna. <em>Alive</em>.</p>
<p>Before he reached the limb, before he ever put his own hands on it, Levi heard Jenna’s grunts from around the other side. The fist had stayed, but she’d managed to crawl her way out despite the wounds, despite the heat, and dropped down not too far from it. She was weak and beaten, but alive, and Levi dashed down to her side as fast as he was able.</p>
<p>“Jenna—” he breathed. This wasn’t like him, to be so afraid, but his hands shook as he reached for her to help her sit up. “You’re alive.”</p>
<p>Jenna nodded, trying to regain herself. Every breath ached in her chest, and every shift sent jolts of renewed pain up through her spine and down her limbs. “I’m alive,” she repeated, like she didn’t believe it. “<em>You</em><em>’re</em> alive.”</p>
<p>“We can’t stay here.” Levi was right back to business. He spared only a passing glance and his hand to the side of her face, but that was all she needed.</p>
<p>Levi was, in his own way, jumping for joy at the news. They were both alive, having escaped unfathomable odds, and now they needed to make sure they stayed like that. Levi stood up and helped Jenna to follow, pulling her up to unsteady feet. Her knees knocked, and her thighs ached, but she didn’t let that slow them down.</p>
<p>“My—my gear is broken,” she said. “Levi—”</p>
<p>“It’s fine,” he told her. “We’ll get far enough away and stop to look at your wounds. Can you handle that?”</p>
<p>He sounded so firm and gruff, but she could see something behind his eyes that was softer. More concerned. They were in a difficult place to show that sort of thing, as death lurked behind every corner, but Levi was going to make sure that they got someplace safe. Once they were there, they could talk. Since they’d survived, there was more than enough they needed to talk about, anyway.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Jenna leaned in Levi for most of their walk, but he supported her every step of the way. In their haste to avoid more titans, just on the off chance there had been more in the area, they left their entire camp behind. They had nothing but themselves, which didn’t bode well for Jenna’s wounds, but it was going to have to due until they could make their way back. Levi was already thinking about ways he could maybe hole Jenna up somewhere safe and leave, bring help back to her.</p>
<p>No matter what he did, it was going to have to wait. For the hour that they walked away from the scene to someplace safer, Levi and Jenna didn’t talk much. She was clearly wounded, clearly hurt, and that made things a bit difficult. She needed her energy for the walk, not for idle chit-chat. Levi wasn’t much one for idle chit-chat, anyway, and the walk was pleasant, all things considered. Despite what they’d woken up to, the weather was nice, and there were birds chirping in the air.</p>
<p>When they finally got to a place Levi deemed safe enough, he helped Jenna sit down in the base of a tree, propped up against the trunk. Lying down wouldn’t be good for her, just in case she had a head injury they didn’t know about and sitting also made sure she could react faster if something came.</p>
<p>“Your wounds need addressed,” Levi stated.</p>
<p>He didn’t give her the time to ask questions before he was tearing at his cloak. There were plenty of them back within the wall, so he could just get a new one if he needed it. Wrapping and setting Jenna’s arm was more important than his choice of dress, so he didn’t think twice about ripping it into long, thin strips. With those prepared, he started to tend to Jenna’s wounds.</p>
<p>She just watched him for a long time, her eyes wide at the gentleness he displayed with her. No touch of his hurt, and though moving from side to side and shifting <em>did</em> hurt, it was never his fault. He checked in to make sure she was okay, always glancing up to her. Looking at her. She couldn’t quite place it, but she had never been good at reading people, anyway. All she knew was that she’d never seen Levi act like this with anyone else, and that was enough.</p>
<p>Still, she had a creeping fear within her. Levi’s words still echoed through her head—his proposal in the heat of battle. He’d been just as prepared to die as she had been, which only begged the question of how sincere his proposal had been.</p>
<p>“Levi?” Jenna croaked out. The sound of her voice caught his attention fast, as if she were about to tell him she was dying or too wounded to stand again.</p>
<p>It was just nervousness in her throat, and she swallowed it down the moment she saw Levi’s distress. He didn’t often wear anything on his face so clear, but in these moments when they were alone, he let go.</p>
<p>“Did you mean what you asked?” Jenna whispered.</p>
<p>Levi’s hands slowed as he reached the end of her arm. He tied off the fabric, ensuring that the setting was tied in place tightly, and then sat back on his knees. His eyes were downcast, and for a moment, Jenna even though he looked nervous. They weren’t ever very <em>good</em> at the talking. He was quiet and stoic, while she was introverted at best, and entirely too nervous at worst. It was a hard question she’d just asked, and though it was one she needed an answer to, she tried to answer it herself.</p>
<p>“I know I’m not the strongest or the best at this, but—” she swallowed, “—I’ve always tried my best. I don’t ever want to be a burden on you. Not while we train or fight or—”</p>
<p>“Stop it,” Levi bit, his voice a bit harder than he intended. Still, it shut Jenna’s mouth. In return, he just sighed.</p>
<p>“I meant it,” he mumbled, pushing himself up to his feet once more. “I don’t have a ring, and even if I did, I wouldn’t advise that you wear it. It could get caught on something.” He folded his arms. “But I meant it. I want you to marry me.”</p>
<p>Jenna gave a weak smile. “Of all people?”</p>
<p>Levi nodded. “Of all the people. You’ve got more determination than half of these new recruits,” as he spoke, he looked to the side as if he were embarrassed. “I guess it’s—I’m proud of you. Honored to fight by your side.”</p>
<p>“Even if you have to protect me?”</p>
<p>Levi quirked a small grin. “Nobody else I’d rather protect. How’s that?”</p>
<p>Though it hurt for a moment, Jenna had to laugh. When Levi reached out for her, she took his hand and allowed him to help her back off the ground.</p>
<p>“I want to marry you,” Jenna said, quieter now that they were closer. “If that’s okay.”</p>
<p>Levi’s only response was a nod. He’d never had a plan of how to ask, but when he’d seen a situation where they both might not make it out, he couldn’t <em>not</em> ask. The idea that Jenna would die not knowing this was what he wanted was too dark of one to bear, so Levi had done away with it.</p>
<p>Though he’d asked her in the heat of the moment, he meant every word of it. He meant every word of it now, too, even as they had to push themselves aside and head back for their goal. They had to make it to safety, and hopefully, even back behind the wall. Behind the wall would be someone who could marry them. That would be Levi’s final proof that this was what he wanted; he’d find someone, and even if they had to get married in their uniforms under the cover of darkness, he wanted to be able to say Jenna was his wife.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
<p></p><div class="center">
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